TUNING THEORY AND PRACTICE IN THE WEST: HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY

12-tone equal temperament has dominated tuning theory and practice in western music since the mid-nineteenth century. The overall dominance of this tuning practice is such that it is still rare for musicians to be aware of any of the many and varied alternatives. This dissertation investigates other tunings, all with their basis in historical practice, and gives details about their development and construction. By analysing the nature and development of historical tunings we are given an insight into the fundamentals of tuning practice. Each of the historical systems examined shows different issues surrounding the construction of a tuning or temperament. This dissertation looks also at issues directly relating to historical and contemporary tuning theory, such as the physical and psychological perception of sound, and ancient methods of scale construction, in the hope that these subjects will not only give greater insight into the practice of tuning, but also into the reasons underlying the adoption of the one tuning system in general use today. A further objective of this dissertation is to give the reader an accessible insight into the sometimes very impenetrable world of tuning theory. By explaining some of the basics of tuning I hope to give the musician an understanding of some alternatives to 12-tone equal temperament. This dissertation will provide the reader with the analytical tools to be able to recreate existing tuning systems and/or to calculate and construct new systems. The chapters focus on: The Physical and Psychological Perception of Sound; the Rationalisation of Music, Pythagorean Intonation, and the Beginnings of Temperament; Just Intonation; Meantone Temperament; Well Temperament; and 12-tone Equal Temperament